Perfect Love
by Sasha Marie
Summary: ZADR! sequel to Perfect Enemy. Dib helps Zim try to cope with the fact that he has lost everything and all he has left is Dib, and himself. Things get worse before they get better and Dib and Zim have to explore their true feelings towards each other R
1. morning after

AN: Due to some good reviews on my oneshot this is my sequel to perfect enemy. It's the morning after Zim brought Dib home and bandaged him up. On to the fiction of the fandom!! w00t!!

Perfect Love

chapter one

morning after

Dib drifted slowly awake, squinting at the digital clock on his night stand he noticed it was almost noon. He tried to sit up but stopped halfway through the motion as a pain tore through most of his body and he realized there was a green arm draped over him. So it hadn't been a dream. It was all very real. The memories from the night before came flooding back to him rather quickly.

He remembered being carried through the inferno that had at one time been Zim's base. He could almost smell the smoke and feel the heat of the flames as the memories played through his mind. Somewhere it registered in his mind what he'd done before being carried out of the burning base. He'd made a serious leap of faith when Zim had stopped singing. Of course kissing the enemy could also count as a death wish, he wasn't sure which it was for him.

It slowly dawned on him that he was very badly hurt and Zim was now without a place to stay. Then a thought hit home rather sharply. "Wow, Zim has _nothing_ left..." With that thought spoken the aforementioned alien slowly opened his disguised ruby eyes and groaned. When he had thoroughly rubbed the sleep from his eyes the little irken stretched and looked at Dib rather pathetically. "So," He drew that single word out very slowly. "It was all real?" The question caught Dib off guard and he nodded in response, causing small spots to dance in his vision.

Zim looked over the boy critically and quietly stated the need for medical treatment. Dib only looked questioningly at the alien in front of him. "Where is the place where your sick are treated?" Dib stared at him disbelievingly. "You mean you don't even know where the hospital is?" //Just great I'm not only at the complete mercy of an alien who not only lost everything, but he doesn't know how or where to treat me. How do I always manage to dig myself not a grave but a freaking catacomb??//

"Maybe I'll just alert your parental figure to your injuries and just tag along..yes that should work. I'll return shortly." Before Dib could protest his mouth was captured by a pair of green lips in a maddeningly tender kiss.

After a few tormentingly wonderful seconds Zim broke away from the kiss and was gone. That breif tender display of affection left the boy's head spinning, his heart in a blender, and his stomach on spin cycle. He was suddenly a mess of emotions. Happy, unsure, melancholy, anxious, nervous, but most of all he was confused. Why was Zim so affectionate and nice all of a sudden? That single question burned itself into Dib's mind, making his stomach knot and his insides squirm.

After a few minutes Zim opened the door and lead in professor Membrane himself. "Well Son your little foreign friend says you got hurt last night, do you need to go to the hospital?" Dib wondered exactly what Zim had told his father but decided he'd find out soon enough. "Yeah, I think I might need medical attention Dad." The professor nodded and picked up his son very carefully when Zim tugged on Membrane's lab coat while looking up at the scientist with big pleading eyes. "Do you mind if I keep him company while he recovers?" Membrane laughed and patted Zim on the head. "Of course you can keep him company while he heals!" And with that they were off to the hospital.


	2. promise

chapter two

promise

When Dib woke up the next morning Zim was still there although he was sitting in a chair staring intently at the other. "Jesus Zim, do you even sleep?" The irken's mouth twitched upwards in a grin. "We irkens don't need sleep, only rest. The only reason I was so deeply under yesterday was because I passed out from sheer exhaustion." The irken snickered a little. "you humans seem to get much heavier when you lose consciousness you know." He looked away and blushed slightly realizing he might have just made a serious faux pas. "Not that you were too heavy or anything." He amended quickly. Dib only shook his head and motioned for Zim to come to him. The little alien obeyed the gesture and Dib hugged him close, burying his face in Zim's neck.

"Thanks Zim." The irken only blushed at the display of affection and hugged back. Zim nuzzled into Dib's hair, running his clawed fingers through those inky black locks. Zim had wanted something worth believing, something worth living for. He'd wanted that for a long time. With his face buried in those raven locks he realized he'd been in complete and utter denial until that night. He heaved a sigh at that revelation and placed a small kiss on top of the boy's head sorry he hadn't believed he could bridge the gap between himself and his enemy sooner, at least then he would've been able to heal the boy on his own.

"What's wrong Zim?" The irken almost jumped at the sound of his name but managed to stay still. "Just thinking." Was his only answer. Dib decided to let it go and pressed closer, causing Zim to blush deeper. Just then the nurse came in knocking both boys out of their thoughts. "I'm not interrupting am I?" Zim immediately didn't like her. Just the cheery, knowing way she said that, it sounded like she'd caught them in the middle of some dirty act like sex. Zim was about to give the nurse a piece of his mind when Dib let go of him and answered before he had a chance. "Not at all, I just needed a hug." Zim would've gaped but thought better of it. Now was definitely not the time. The nurse went about administering the painkillers and then left quickly giving the two boys some time alone.

"So, what was that supposed to mean?" Dib sighed and signaled Zim to come closer. He then pulled the other into a deep kiss catching the alien off guard. Zim's eyes went wide for a second before he relaxed into the kiss, wrapping his tongue possessively around the other's which brought a moan from the injured boy's throat. After a near good minute of exploring each other's mouths they broke away from the kiss for air. It left them both breathing heavily and Zim's eyes were still half lidded. Dib might never know just how he affected the irken or what he made said irken feel every time they kissed. All he knew was that this little green alien needed as much tender love and care as he could get and it would be that way for quite a while.

While Dib wasn't really in love with Zim, the alien had practically begged him for love. It was so obvious that the ex-invader needed someone to believe in him and Dib firmly believed that everyone should get a chance at happiness. While he enjoyed kissing Zim quite a bit part of him was screaming at him that it was wrong. That part of himself he yelled at to stfu and that was that.

Finally Dib managed to answer Zim's question. "It meant she wasn't interrupting what we were doing because we could always just go back to it after she left." Zim regarded the boy for a minute before making a 'gimme' gesture to which Dib complied with, pressing his lips to the irken's in a chaste kiss. When they broke away Zim smiled and hugged Dib. In seconds he felt the irken quiver slightly and somewhere deep in his mind it registered the sudden wetness on his shoulder. Zim was crying without making a sound.

Dib pulled the ex-invader up onto the bed with him so he could comfort the alien better. Silently he rubbed the irken's back in small useless circles. It stayed that way for several minutes until a quiet whisper from the alien broke the quiet. "You," He choked on a sob, silently beating himself up for being so weak. "You won't abandon me will you?" Dib hugged the alien all the tighter at those words. "I'm not going to leave you alone _ever_." He put a hand underneath Zim's chin tilting his head up until the alien was looking up into his eyes. "I promise." Slowly Dib pressed his lips to Zim's in a tender kiss. Those two words echoed in the iken's mind with a soft reassuring tone and he soon took them to heart. He knew deep down that Dib meant those words and would never go back on them. For the first time in a long while Zim felt like everything was going to be okay. He finally found someone to believe in him, someone he could believe in too. He was wanted, worthwhile, but most of all someone cared about him as a person. And with those thoughts the tears slowly came to stop.


	3. sunsets and heartfelt thanks

chapter three

sunsets and heartfelt thanks

After one night and a few hours of the day in the hospital Dib was sent home with a couple of casts and a prescription of painkillers. Zim took the liberty of making a big comfy pallet out of several sleeping bags and pillows on the balcony. All there was left to do was wait. Finally it was nearing sundown and Zim went inside to get Dib.

"You ready Dib?" Dib looked up from his sci-fi book to give the alien a questioning look. "Ready for what?" Zim only smiled. "I've got a surprise for you. But you have to close your eyes until I tell you to open them okay?" Dib didn't know whether to worry or be glad that somebody was paying attention to him. After a long moment he book marked his page and closed his eyes. Zim smiled brightly, carried the boy outside and set him on the pallet. "You can open your eyes now." Dib did so and was greeted by a breathtaking view of the sunset. A breathy 'wow' was all he could say.

The view was spectacular and he suddenly realized hadn't watched the sunset since his mother had died. That in itself made his eyes water. Zim noticed this and frowned. "What's wrong?" Dib sighed wiping the tears away only to find that new ones immediately sprung up their place. "It's been so long since I've even seen a sunset, let alone had someone to share it with." Zim quietly brushed the tears away with his thumb pads, wondering what he'd done wrong. Dib took the irken's hand in his and kissed the alien's fingertips. "Thanks Zim. You have no idea how much this means to me."

At the brush of lips on his fingers Zim's antennae tried to stand straight up under the wig. Zim promptly blushed at the small contact and the heartfelt thanks. He tried to think of something to say but kept coming up with a big blank. Finally he decided actions would have to do in place of words. He turned Dib's face away from the sunset just long enough to kiss both tear stained cheeks before he settled beside the boy, resting his head on Dib's shoulder. "I'll always be here for you Diblet."

Dib blushed hard at the pet name and took off the irken's wig, stroking along Zim's velvety antennae. "Thanks Zim. I mean it with all my heart." Zim's only response was a deep throaty churring sound as his antennae were petted. Dib only smiled at the sound and tilted the irken's head so that he could press his lips to the alien's in soft kiss while twirling one antennae around his finger. Zim groaned pleasantly at the treatment and ran his fingers through Dib's hair before petting the shaved area on the back of the boy's head.

They watched the sunset in relative silence after that and then counted the stars as they came out. Zim pointed out which ones he'd been to and which ones were being invaded. Once Zim was done with that Dib had fun pointing out all the constellations that were visible from their vantage point. Zim was impressed with the human imagination when he realized the constellations looked nothing like what they were meant to represent. He quickly pointed that factiod out and Dib only laughed and told him that ancient human had been very imaginative indeed.

They spent the entire night talking and Dib didn't get a wink of sleep until dawn found them still on the balcony snuggled together beneath a layer of blankets. By then exhaustion caught up with them very quickly and Dib had fallen asleep while Zim just lay there resting listening to the boy's peaceful snores. Absentmindedly he ran his claws through Dib's silky soft hair, playing with the scythe lock in particular, his mind blissfully blank. The little ex-invader didn't want to think about what what had happened or what was going to happen. He was quite content to keep his thoughts firmly rooted in the shallow end of the thought spectrum.

He wanted so much to keep the confusion at bay but couldn't keep it back for long. It soon crashed over him like tsunami, unstoppable and very very powerful. It swept him away on an eddy of emotions and a flood of feelings. Nothing in his mind was safe from the screaming confusion that was Zim's contradicting feelings. //Does he even know how much he means to me? Or what he makes me feel when I'm around him? Does he understand That if I had it all back I'd give it all up in a hearbeat just to be with him?// Zim shook his head and tugged his antennae in frustration. //Does he know how much I hurt inside? How when I'm with him that pain fades into a meaningless haze that seems like it was all just a bad dream as the humans would say? Does he know how much I hate myself for being so weak?// Suddenly those two words echoed inside the alien's mind. '_I promise.'_ that single thought shattered the confusion and it all drained away leaving behind a feeling of warmth and newfound strength in the alien's spooch. //Does he even care that I'm so weak and pathetic? Or does it not matter and he likes me for who I am?// The warm feeling spread all throughout Zim's body and his spooch fluttered. //I-I think that's it. It doesn't matter that I'm weak or a failure or that I'm hurt. What matters is that he cares about me as a person and not a plaything.// With that thought Zim relaxed immensely and snuggled closer to Dib, giving the boy a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks for believing in me Dib. I don't know what I'd do if you ever lost faith in me." And with that the alien drifted out of coherent thought into the sweet embrace of a babbling brook of sweet and tender thoughts about the human.


	4. lesbians and rainbow bracelets

AN: this chapter is not meant to discriminate against, bash, or otherwise offend ANYONE especially any lesbians and/or gays and/or bisexuals in any way, shape, form, or fashion. no offense is intended so please don't flame me if you don't like this chapter. Thank you. (fyi I SUPPORT GAY PRIDE!!!)

chapter four

lesbians and rainbow bracelets

Monday rolled around rather quickly for Dib. A little _too_ quickly for his liking. But either way it had come. The teacher grimaced deeply and introduced two new students to the class. When the class saw them everyone's eyes bugged out except for Zim's. "Class this is Kia and Chai, they're foreign exchange students. Take your seats you two." It wasn't that they were green or had two slavering monstrous heads it was the fact that they were covered head to toe in gay pride rainbows. They'd even gone as far as to wear their lesbian symbol necklace and matching earrings to boot.

Kia smiled brightly and took a seat behind Zim who paid her no notice as he was too busy trying to figure out why everyone's jaws had dropped, while Chai took a seat behind Dib. Mostly everyone stared at the girls the rest of the day. Zim didn't care either way and pointedly ignored them while Dib blushed brightly every time he saw one of the rainbows bedecked girls. Zim had no idea why he was so embarrassed but it piqued his interest to know.

After Skool Zim was carrying Dib's backpack and the two were on their way out the door when the two girls approached them. Zim looked curiosly at the two girls, Dib went scarlet. //Do they know? Oh dear god can they even tell that me Zim are-Shit, here they come!// "H-hi." Zim narrowed one eye at Dib. Did he like one of them? That was the only explanation he could come up with. Before he could even get defensive one of the girls giggled and Dib flushed even brighter. "You two are cute together." That would be Kia tactless as ever. Chai gave Kia a little push and told her to be respectful. "Before any more assumptions are made are you guys together?"

Zim raised a nonexistent eyebrow at the question. "What do you mean?" Kia piped up first. "You know, going out, or involved romantically?" Zim thought for a second. "I suppose. Yes, yes we are. Why?" That earned a squeal from both girls before Chai answered. "We just wanted to make sure we weren't the only ones around." At that both girls slipped off a single rainbow beaded bracelet and slipped them onto either boy's wrist. Before either of the boys could question it the girls scampered off. The entire hallway stared in disbelief at the two. Zim glared daggers at everyone and soon everything went back to normal.

"You're blushing like mad. As much fun as it's been counting every shade of red you've turned I'd like to know what it is that has you so embarrassed." Dib looked at Zim as though he'd grown another head. "Zim, you just got us branded as gay. I wasn't really expecting something like that and it just not something normal people flaunt or acknowledge." Zim thought about that for a second but still didn't understand why Dib was so embarrassed.

"So the rainbow beads mean you're gay right?" Dib nodded. Zim thought on that a moment before a grin spread across his face. "Aren't we though?" Dib's jaw dropped. "What?!" Zim's smile only got wider. "Are we or are not gay?" Dib was at a total loss of what to say. "B-but-well, YEAH!" Zim leaned in close, invading Dib's personal space while grinning all the wider at Dib's coke can red blush. "So what's it matter?"

Dib's incredulity turned to annoyance. "Because it's not something people need to know, simply because it's none of their business." Zim stroked a finger down Dib's cheek, watching Dib grow suddenly very nervous. "So what if everyone knows? We should be able to do as normal couples do without fear of ridicule." Dib was getting tenser by the second. //God, what is he getting at?// Zim pulled Dib closer whispering softly into his ear. "We shouldn't have to hide behind false pretenses. We're outcasts anyway. Who cares what we do together?" The hot breathy whisper in Dib's ear was really getting to him. Slowly he relaxed completely and that was when Zim struck, capturing Dib's mouth with his own. Needless to say he caught Dib off guard and got a surprised sound out of the boy before he gave in and kissed the alien back.

Once again everyone stopped and stared. Zim growled and glared at the crowd. "YOU GOT A PROBLEM WITH IT?" Everyone dispersed immediately for fear of getting beaten up by a gay. That would not bode well for _anyone's_ reputation. After the crowd was gone Zim kissed Dib once more before they both made their way home together.


	5. hate crime

AN: I had to bump the rating up because of the amount of violence, blood, and other stuff in this chapter. I'm hating myself for doing this to my poor fan made character Kia. Well it wouldn't be a h/c fic if there wasn't some serious emotional pain... -cries-

Chapter five

hate crime

one week later

"No, Stop! Kia!" A scream ripped through the night but nobody paid it any heed. They just kept walking. Nobody cared, not at all, not in the least. Nobody even stopped to see why the girl was screaming. Nobody liked Chai and Kia. Nobody but Zim and Dib that is. Chai fell to her knees weeping. The man holding the knife laughed as they forced her to watch her girlfriend's lifeblood pool around her on the concrete. Nobody cared if a couple of lesbians were found dead. Nobody would even take notice that they were gone.

A flash of silver was all the man saw as the knife he'd just used to cut Kia's throat skittered across the ground. "Having fun dirtbag?" The man looked up at the figure towering over him. He screamed like a nancy boy. It wasn't the way Zim looked, he was in disguise. No, it was the fact that he was suspended in the air by the spider legs from his pak. The man holding Chai had long since run away seeing a little green skinned boy with four very sharp, very long metal spider legs sprout from his back pack would make a lot of people run.

He didn't get far however as Dib tripped him and handcuffed him to a parking meter. The handcuffs of course were made courtesy of Zim. The other man wasn't so lucky. The moment he'd turned to run Zim used his spider legs to lift the man off the ground. "What do you want?" Zim snarled and threw the man against the wall. "What do you think I want? I want you to leave them alone!" Zim wasn't mad, Zim was uber pissed. He slammed the man against the wall again only harder.

"Zim taser his ass already the cops are coming this way!" Zim grinned and all his spider legs arced with electricity, knocking the big man unconscious. The cops came around the corner just in time to see Zim pull a _human_ taser away from the big man. "And what is the meaning of all this ruckus kids?" Zim only blinked and let Dib answer. "They were attacking our friends." The cop looked over to the rainbow bedecked Chai who was holding Kia and wailing like a banshee. The cop blanched at the sight.

There was so much blood. It almost covered Chai's entire front. One of the cops called for paramedics but Zim and Dib knew from the way Chai was screaming it was already too late. She screamed on and on, wordlessly into the night even as the police tried to calm her down and get her story.

It was too much. The pain was so great for her that you could hear her heart rip and her world shatter. She was really and truly broken beyond repair. Her heart filled with anguish and despair loomed over her like a dark and turbulent storm. She was hurt and confused. Why had it happened? What had they ever done to anyone to make them want the two girls dead? There were no answers in that moment and there never would be. People simply hate and fear what is different from themselves.

Dib took a hold of her shoulder and shook her hard. She looked up at him with blood and tear stained cheeks. She looked up at him with wide innocent green eyes as a single lock of chestnut brown hair fell into her face. In that moment she looked up at him as if he were God and held all the answers. But he knew in his heart any answer he gave her might not be true. She asked anyway. "Why Dib?" He looked at her sadly and wiped a tear away. Why? That was good question. So vague yet so specific. He looked away. "Because people are cruel and hate what they don't understand." The tears only fell faster. "But we never did anything to deserve this. We were nice to everyone we met. Why would someone want us dead?"

Another good question. She seemed to have a lot of painful questions and no answers of her own. He answered anyway. "Because we're different from them. Because we don't follow the same beaten path as them. Because we're anomalies. Because we show our differences instead of hiding them like everyone else. Why else?" She hated hearing it but she knew in her heart it was true. Every word he said was true. But she knew he couldn't distance himself from the pain much longer. She could see the tears welling up in those beautiful amber eyes. She could feel his hand shaking on her shoulder.

Slowly he knelt in the blood and hugged her as the paramedics took Kia's body away. "My mom told me once that whenever somebody dies their angel gets to paint the sunset." She looked up slowly, a confused look on her face. He plunged ahead before she could question him. "The day she died was the only time I ever watched the sunset alone. I couldn't even see through the tears but I think that sunset must've been the most beautiful sunset ever. I bet Kia's sunset will be just as beautiful as my mom's."

Chai only nodded, buried her face in Dib's shirt and cried even harder.


	6. in loving memory

chapter six

in loving memory

two weeks later

It was raining the day of the funeral. Not many people were there. A smattering of people from skool came but only because they felt guilty about not accepting the two girls into any of the social circles. And now Chai was all alone in a cold, uncaring and bitterly hateful world that barely knew how to regret such injustices. What was worse nobody really cared. Nobody but Dib, Zim, and the distraught parents. No other family was there. They'd all disowned Kia because she'd gone against their religion. Bloody freaking christian bible thumpers. Dib and Zim hated the rest of Kia's family for not showing.

It only added insult to injury. But it was nice to know that there were five people who would never forget Kia. Only Dib, Zim, Chai, and Mr. And Mrs. Carmelli would ever remember Kia. Within a week she'd be forgotten.

Chai was called up during the funeral to sing. She had chosen the song very carefully. She'd settled on Kia's favorite song. The Unforgiven 2 by Metallica. She looked as though she was grieving and everyone knew she was. But what nobody could understand was why she wasn't crying _that_ day. Only Zim and Dib knew why though. She'd told them why she couldn't cry. She'd already used up the tears she'd said. She was strange that way. Even Zim said so. But he'd heard of things like this. The toughest of the tough. 'The silent ones' he'd called them. Dib guessed it made sense, she didn't make a single sound all through it until she was called up to sing. The Irkens took to calling people like her the silent ones because after three days you couldn't get them to cry, sob, or otherwise give voice to their pain, grief, misery and suffering. Once they cried about it for three days they never cried about it again. It was as simple as that. At least Zim thought so. Dib, not so much. Then again Dib never really got over his mother's death.

Gaz was there because she knew what it was like to lose someone precious. Someone whom you held in your heart and would continue to do so forever. Gaz had been the only one to accept both girls for who they were. She'd even stood up for them on several occasions. Three had become pretty close. Well as close as you could get to Gaz anyway. They seemed to have come to an understanding with Gaz. The way it had worked was this: Gaz would play video games and the other two would walk with her discussing in very respectfully quiet tones whatever they wanted, if anyone picked on them or made fun of them Gaz would knock the person out. Mostly because the person who had made fun of them would do so very loudly breaking her gaming concentration, hence the fist to the face.

Gaz was the only one who didn't use an umbrella. Dib thought he saw tears coming from her eyes but didn't dare ask her if she'd been crying and standing in the cold rain simply to hide the tears.

After Chai sang Zim went up to sing. His song was Excess Baggage by Staind. One thing was for sure. None of the four, Zim, Dib, Chai, and Gaz, well maybe not Gaz but at least three of them would always feel empty now. Gaz already felt that way before Kia died so no change there. After the funeral everyone left but Chai, Dib and Zim. Gaz would've stayed but she was catching a cold. None of them said anything for a long time. Chai finally broke the silence. "Why'd you try to save us Zim?" He only blinked and reached out to comfort her but she drew away into the rain where she was safe from his grasp. "I-" Chai turned angrily on him. "I know you're not of this world Zim. I saw the spider legs, I saw you electrocute the bastard. But why? It really isn't even any concern of an alien's!" So much repressed anger. Anger at the world for not understanding, Anger at the judge for giving him a minor sentence, anger at the jury for trying to set him free, anger at everyone for not understanding and she threw it all at the one person who had cared enough to save her. If Zim's antennae hadn't been pined down by a wig they would have wilted. "Chai..I did it because you understand. Because you saw what we were and supported us. I did it because I care. I'm sorry I didn't make it in time for her." Tears were streaming down Zim's face faster and faster with every word. "I'm so sorry. I hate myself for not being fast enough. For not being able to save her too. I'm going to miss her more every day. What hurts the most is that if I had still had my base I very likely _could_ have saved her. But I don't have anything but you, Dib, and possibly my defective little sir unit wherever he is." Zim was quiet for a moment. "I won't ask you to forgive me Chai because I'll never forgive myself." With that he opened his own umbrella and walked towards the Membrane household, head down and heart broken.


	7. invitation

chapter seven

invitation

yet another week later

Zim sat alone on the balcony staring at the stars, tears running down his cheeks. Dib was almost fully healed now but that didn't even make Zim feel even slightly better. Chai hadn't told anyone about him but she still wouldn't so much as look at him anymore. He'd tried his damnedest but it still wasn't good enough. //I'm a failure. Nothing more. I'll never be able to fix this no matter how hard I try. I hate feeling so useless...maybe I'm not worth anything after all...//

"Hey Zim?" Dib's voice snapped him out of his reverie. He looked up and smiled wistfully, a haunted look in his ruby eyes. Dib walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek. Dib was so sweet, so understanding. Dib didn't care that he was a failure. Dib didn't care that he was useless. Dib cared about Zim. Maybe even loved him. But Zim could never find it in his heart to ask him if he did.

"Zim please come inside. It's getting lonely in there with you spending all your time out here." Zim gave a half hearted grin and kissed Dib's cheek, another tear sliding down. Dib wiped the tear away with his thumb before pulling Zim down into a soft kiss. Winter would be here in only a few days. Zim wouldn't be able to stay out as long then. Finally Dib made a meek plea. "Please?" //God, does he know how much it makes my heart ache when he asks me like that?// Zim couldn't say no to anything Dib asked when he did it so meekly, so quietly. As if afraid that the slightest hint of hope would shatter and be ripped from him.

Zim petted the boy's cheek. "Okay. But only because you asked nicely." Dib gave a half smile and drew Zim into another kiss. They went inside together and Dib noticed that Zim was shivering slightly. Once in his room he made Zim strip down and crawl into bed while he did the same. Zim had no idea what to think of this but was willing to try anything once. When he realized Dib was sharing his body heat with him, the irken almost burst into tears. //am I really worth all the effort and worry he puts into me?// Just then the computer screen blinked into life.

"Hello Zim!" Tallest Purple screeched the words happily but stopped short when he saw Zim's situation Zim didn't answer, he just stared as if they weren't there. Tallest Red appeared on the screen. "Come on Zim, don't be like that." Red wasn't pleading though he tried to sound like it. Zim wasn't fooled for a second. "Fuck you." He rolled over so his back was to the screen. "Aw but Zim, we're having a karaoke party aboard the massive and you get to bring two stink monkeys with you for all the other Planetary leaders to see." Zim growled irritably before he lost it completely. "Don't you assholes have something better to do than screw me around?!" Neither of the tallest spoke for a full minute. No exile had ever been so insolent, it just didn't happen. "Zim are you alright?" It looked like Red had picked his jaw up off the floor long enough to ask a stupid question.

"No, I'm not." Zim stated it flatly. Red looked a question at Purple who nodded. "Zim you're coming if we have to send someone down there to kidnap you. Come on it'll be fun. Besides we promised Skoodge we'd let you come and-and..Please?" What kind of game were they playing this time? If the tallest wanted something done it got done, there was never room for 'please' in their lives. Zim turned over to glare daggers at the screen. "If I even suspect foul play I'll kill you both. Got it?" Purple's eyes went wide. Red was calm and just agreed. "Okay Zim, sounds fair enough. The party is in one earth day. See you then." With that the screen went black once more. How much more humiliation could they possibly cause him this now? There was only one way he would ever know.


	8. forgiveness

AN: my poem!! -goes rabid-

chapter eight

forgiveness

Chai sat alone on the bed looking through everything she and Kia had done together. There were pictures scattered about, co authored stories, and even songs they'd written together. One struck a chord deep within her heart. It was a poem called promise. She sat with dull, lifeless eyes, and read it over.

If I don't wake up in the morning,

bury me in the night,

if never saw the sun again,

it would be alright,

I can't stand to touch you,

when you are so down,

I'd cry for you a river,

and in those tears I'd drown,

will we always be so close?

Or will it ever end?

No matter what happens between us,

know I'll always be your friend,

would you kiss me after sunset?

Give to me the moon?

If one of us must go away,

I hope it isn't soon,

give to me your heart,

and give to me your love,

everything will fade,

but I'll hold you high above,

though days may pass,

and seasons change,

I promise you this,

my love for you will remain the same.

Chai stared at the poem for several heartbeats before clutching it to her chest and trying her best to shed one last tear for her beloved Kia. A slight knock on the door alerted her to someone's presence. She turned around to find it was Zim. "Go away." He glared at her for a moment before he walked over to her. "You won't even hear me out?" Chai gave him a murderous glare then stopped when she saw the tears welling up in his eyes. "You said it yourself you tried your best and it wasn't enough. I can't stand it anymore, every time I look at you I'm reminded of that night Zim. It's not you it's me."

She did something unexpected then. She threw herself into his arms. He blinked slowly for a few moments before embracing her and rubbing her back slowly. Suddenly all her anger broke forth in a rush of fury and fresh hot tears streamed down her cheeks. Zim kissed both of her tear stained cheeks. "There's a reason I came here you know." She looked up at the alien and wondered briefly what he looked like underneath the disguise. Maybe she'd never know. He continued on while wiping away every fresh tear to roll down her cheeks. "I was invited to a Karaoke party by my leaders and get to bring two people. I was hoping we could dedicate some songs to her." Chai smiled through all the tears. "Alright. But I want to see what you really look like before we go." Zim thought that over for a second and slowly removed his wig and contacts. Kim stared up into the ruby depths of his eyes in wonderment and began stroking his cheek. "Are all your people as beautiful as you?" Zim was taken aback by that. He'd never been called beautiful or even good looking by anyone's standards. He hugged her close, stroking her hair. "I'm not half as beautiful as the others of my race."

She smiled up at him and kissed his cheek. "Whatever." He looked down into her emeraldine eyes and spoke softly. "I'm not usually one for modesty but I'm not pretty by anyone's standards except for your's of course." She looked up at him with wide innocent eyes. "Zim?" He returned her gaze. "Yeah?" She blushed and looked away quickly. "I-I forgive you." He smiled and kissed her forehead. "I still don't. But that doesn't really matter. The party starts in a few hours and we need to go." She nuzzled into his chest and just let him hold her for a moment before changing into something suitable and walking out the door with him. As they walked out the poem remained on the bed until a sudden gust from the door carried it out the open window and into the streets below. It didn't matter because Chai had memorized that poem long ago. But she'd still be upset that the original had been lost.


	9. trap

chapter nine

trap

The moment the three stepped out of their respective teleporters they were greeted by by a squishing sound coming from beneath Dib's boot. "Mff uff!" Dib rather carefully removed his boot from the little irken's face all while blushing a bright scarlet. "You'll have to forgive him Skoodge. Humans don't always look where they step." Skoodge shook his head and looked up at the human in awe. "Why is he so tall?" Zim almost blanched. Almost. "Well gravity on their planet is very weak. That allows them to grow as tall as six feet tall or more. It's a very peculiar place." Skoodge's eyes bugged out when Zim told him just how tall the humans could get and he promptly started screaming at the thought of having to avoid so many boots to the face. Zim just calmly waited for Skoodge to stop screaming and hyperventilating before he continued with what he was saying. "Luckily I was only allowed to bring two humans with me."

Skoodge suddenly realized one of the humans was eye level with him. He promptly shrieked when he saw the human girl's eyes were green. "She's a carrier! A leper! Oh my tallest, I'm gonna die!!!" Zim sighed rubbing what would be his temples if he were human and firmly kicked Skoodge in the rear causing him to topple over. "Skoodge you moron that's her _natural_ eye color! I would not bring her aboard this vessel if she had the green eyed plague!" Skoodge quieted slowly. "You mean these humans are born with green eyes and it's not because of a sickness?" Zim sighed heavily. "No Skoodge it's not a sickness." Skoodge blushed at that. "Sorry about that." Chai chuckled and patted him on the head. "It's okay Skoodge. I'd freak out too if I'd never seen someone with eyes of a certain color before so it's no biggie." Skoodge looked at her, vaguely wondering what she meant.

Then Tallest Purple came into the room. "What's all this about a leper Skoodge? I already told you we wiped all of them ou-Oh dear me!" Looks like Purple noticed her eye color too. Chai was now thoroughly sick of the screaming and promptly let loose an antennae splitting whistle. "Okay, we've already established that I do not have the eye green plague or whatever the hell it is! Green eyes are normal for human being so if you all would kindly _**stop screaming**_!" Purple, Zim, and Skoodge all rubbed their antennae painfully.

"We'll all be good just _please_ don't do that again..." Zim's eyes narrowed at Purple's back. That was the second time he heard that word from one of his tallest. Zim's antennae twitched slightly. Something was definitely wrong. Dib absentmindedly petted the antennae that twitched and Zim slowly relaxed before waving his hand away. "Let's go join the party." Purple led the way into the main room where the stage was set up. Zim immediately stiffened. They were the only ones here. Just then something collided with his pak causing him to scream shrilly.

"Sorry Zim, but we can't have you getting in our way when we destroy that worthless planet you seem to have grown attached to. Oh and your execution will be a public event back on Irk and thanks for the slaves." Zim reached out to Dib only to get his hand stepped on by Red. "So sorry Zim, no touching the new slaves. As an ex-invader you should know that." Zim looked up at one of the leaders he'd dedicated his life to. One of the people he'd always wanted to please, to make proud. You could hear his world shatter as he realized every trust he'd ever had with them had been betrayed and broken.

His other hand clenched into a fist. He was not going to let Dib or Chai become slaves to these monsters. He would find a way to escape and free them. Somehow. He had to find a way. "Zim!" A resounding smack could be heard as claws hit human flesh. "Zim, I believe in you! You're not a failure! Everything they made you believe is a lie! Zim! Don't let them do this, please!" Another smack could be heard and a slight gurgling sound. Still the boy would not relent. "Zim..you said you'd always be there for me. Don't leave me please. I promised never to leave you, now please don't leave me." Dib was chocking on his tears. Zim could hear his broken sobs but rest sounded so good right now. "Please." That one word was so meek, begging, and full of despair. That single fragile little plea sent a shock through the irken's mind much like a bucket of nonlethal ice water. In an act of desperation Zim bit Red's ankle with all his might, jagged teeth digging into the bone. It was always worth a shot.


	10. bring the pain

chapter ten

bring the pain

Red screamed trying to shake Zim off his ankle. Zim jerked his head back, yanking Red's foot out from under him. Needless to say Red Toppled over indignantly on his bum. Zim let go and ripped the power drain cables painfully out of his pak. "You made a mistake my tallest." Red and Purple's eyes shot wide. Nobody could rip those cables from their pak and survive. And yet Zim was still standing. While both tallest were recovering their wits Zim threw an uppercut Red's way which connected with his jaw creating an audible crack as his lower jaw was smashed into it's counterpart. Red's head rocked back from the impact and his vision danced with pinpoints of light.

Purple screamed and several irken elite swarmed into the room. Chai couldn't take it anymore. "Zim cover your ears or whatever you have!" With that she whistled as loud as she could right against Purple's antennae who instantly fell over writhing in complete agony. She then proceeded to bite the hand that clamped over her mouth and wriggled out of the guard's now loosened grasp.

Once Chai was clear of the guard Zim impaled the soldier's neck on one of his spider legs.

Dib meanwhile was enjoying yanking on Purple and Red's antennae until they snapped off in his hands. Chaos soon ensued. Skoodge was torn between who to help. His tallest or his best friend. Finally he snapped and leaped on Red's back who was about to impale Dib. The spider leg missed Dib's head by a centimeter. "Run!" Dib and Chai snatched Zim and did just that.

Soon Skoodge was thrown against a wall where tallest Red pinned him up by shoulders and hips. "You know the penalty for treason Skoodge..." Both tallest looked at the squat ex-invader with controlled rage in their eyes. "Yes." Skoodge squirmed but to no avail, he was trapped hopelessly. Tears welled up in his eyes. "Forgive me Zim..." With those words Skoodge's spider legs sprung out to impale both tallest in the abdomen just as tallest Purple impaled Skoodge between the eyes.

"Damn Red. We've been getting sloppy lately." Purple said as he pulled the now limp spike out of his stomach area. Red groaned doing the same. "Yes my tallest. You've gotten _far_ too sloppy." The instant the words were spoken Zim's spider legs shot forth at both tallest who dodged to either side of them, grabbed the appendages and yanked him forward onto their own. Zim screamed but both tallest had made one mistake. They'd forgotten about the two humans and stepped directly into their line of fire when they'd sidestepped Zim's attack. "This one's for Skoodge." the humans said it together and fired together leaving nothing but asmoking hole between each tallest's eyes.

Finally Dib turned to Zim and picked the irken up gently. "Zim.." Again that meek, pleading voice. Zim couldn't stand it when Dib pleaded like that. When he opened his bleary ruby eyes Dib was looking at him with all the tenderness of a lover about to lose everything. It was then that Zim realized that he meant so much to Dib. Zim reached up petting the boy's cheek.

"I'll always be there for you.." Zim hissed in pain, taking deep erratic breaths. "I..promise.." Dib kissed the irken's cheek. "Zim, please don't die. Please.." The last plea was almost lost to Zim who felt his grip on consciousness slipping further every second. Before anything else could happen Zim pulled Dib into a deep kiss. "Dib, I love you more than you know." And with that Zim slipped into that cold comforting darkness where pain was only a filmy haze.


	11. home again

chapter eleven

home again

Zim tried to open his eyes only to find that all he saw was white. He felt like his head was in a vice. A silken touch on his forehead, a feathery touch on his cheek. What was going on? He had to be dead. He had to be. It was Kia welcoming him into the afterlife. Wasn't it? The the presence spoke. That voice was so familiar. "Zim, wake up. Please?" That meek plea, now filled with so much raw need. "Please Zim?"

The alien's hands reached up and pulled the owner of that voice down atop him and even though he couldn't see the human he managed to plant a firm kiss on the boy's lips, parting them softly with his tongue. Dib couldn't think straight, hell he could barely breathe but that was okay as long as Zim didn't stop what he was doing Dib was perfectly happy. Finally Dib couldn't take it anymore, he drew Zim's tongue into his mouth and sucked on it hard enough to make Zim writhe. Chai held the hyper little robot that had been looking all over for his master back away from the two boys.

Gir screeched and shrieked but everyone ignored it. When Dib broke away from the kiss both boys were completely breathless. He held Zim close and whispered sweet nothings into the irken's antennae. "I love you Zim." At that point Chai dragged Gir away to a rave to give the lovers some much needed time alone. On her way out the door she couldn't help but smile at the thought that Dib had found someone who meant as much to him as Kia had meant to her. A single tears slid down her cheek at the thought and her only thought was that she wasn't even sad.

Fin


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